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Demand-Side Sales 101: Stop Selling and Help Your Customers Make Progress
For a lot of us, selling feels icky. Our stomachs tighten at the thought of reciting features and benefits, or pressuring customers into purchasing. It's really not our fault. We weren't taught how to sell, plus we've been sold before, leaving us with a bitter taste.
Here's the sales does not have to feel icky for you or your customers. In fact, with the right approach, sales can be an empowering experience for all.
Bob Moesta , lifelong innovator and coarchitect of the "Jobs to be Done" theory, shares his approach for flipping the lens on sales. Bob shifts the focus of sales from selling, to helping people buy and make progress in their lives--demand-side sales.
Now, in Demand-Side Sales 101 , you'll learn to really see what your customers see, hear what they hear, and understand what they mean. You'll not only be a more effective and innovative salesperson--you'll want to help people make progress.
Here's the sales does not have to feel icky for you or your customers. In fact, with the right approach, sales can be an empowering experience for all.
Bob Moesta , lifelong innovator and coarchitect of the "Jobs to be Done" theory, shares his approach for flipping the lens on sales. Bob shifts the focus of sales from selling, to helping people buy and make progress in their lives--demand-side sales.
Now, in Demand-Side Sales 101 , you'll learn to really see what your customers see, hear what they hear, and understand what they mean. You'll not only be a more effective and innovative salesperson--you'll want to help people make progress.
224 pages, Paperback
Published September 14, 2020
240 people are currently reading
1,885 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
October 31, 2020
While the book title includes the word “sales”, this is much more than an excellent book on sales.
By putting his jobs-to-be-done glasses, Bob has changed the way I investigate and understand the journey of a client from the first thought to the first use of a product or service.
This is highly relevant to sales people, but equally relevant to marketing, support or product people, no matter what vertical you are working in.
Apart form the theoretical framework, the book includes a lot of practical advices on how to do customer interviews, how to map the client needs, understand context etc.
A true gem and a future classic. Thanks Bob!
By putting his jobs-to-be-done glasses, Bob has changed the way I investigate and understand the journey of a client from the first thought to the first use of a product or service.
This is highly relevant to sales people, but equally relevant to marketing, support or product people, no matter what vertical you are working in.
Apart form the theoretical framework, the book includes a lot of practical advices on how to do customer interviews, how to map the client needs, understand context etc.
A true gem and a future classic. Thanks Bob!
November 8, 2020
Great book on Sales for this generation! Everything about Sales has changed, and it's clearly defined how the new mindset on sales is. Here are some of my fave takeaways
1. Sales is helping people make progress
2. Sales is understanding the customer's needs first and addressing those problems.
3. Understanding different stages of buyer so Sales can enter at right place and right time
4. Buyers want to buy on their own decisions. We just help.
5. Everything happens for a reason when buying, so find the CAUSE by asking 5 why's (in different ways)
6. The struggle creates the demand
7. Sales isn't a numbers game
8. Push + Pull > Anxiety + Habit for a sales to happen
9. Time wall or creating timelines create urgency
10. Sales is hard because you have to know everything about the business. People think it's easy but it's difficult
1. Sales is helping people make progress
2. Sales is understanding the customer's needs first and addressing those problems.
3. Understanding different stages of buyer so Sales can enter at right place and right time
4. Buyers want to buy on their own decisions. We just help.
5. Everything happens for a reason when buying, so find the CAUSE by asking 5 why's (in different ways)
6. The struggle creates the demand
7. Sales isn't a numbers game
8. Push + Pull > Anxiety + Habit for a sales to happen
9. Time wall or creating timelines create urgency
10. Sales is hard because you have to know everything about the business. People think it's easy but it's difficult
October 11, 2020
When you practice sales as a means to help customers make progress rather than just closing a deal, it creates real value in people's lives. And if you're looking for an easy read on how to do just that, then I would definitely recommend this book.
July 30, 2022
After reading this book, you can't unsee how sales actually work. It's not about being pushy selling your product but helping your customers make progress at different stages of their journey. This book is a true hidden gem.
Beside sales & marketing folks, I think every designer & product person should read this book.
This is my review after a while. I rarely give reviews to books I am reading. But this book is an exception. I will keep coming back and rereading.
Beside sales & marketing folks, I think every designer & product person should read this book.
This is my review after a while. I rarely give reviews to books I am reading. But this book is an exception. I will keep coming back and rereading.
October 4, 2020
This book has lots of interesting information, tips, and practical examples.
However, there is also a lot of repetitions. Many pages feel like they have been written just to increase the book size and don't have any real substance.
I'd still recommend this book if you want to add more value to your sales process but be ready to fast-forward.
However, there is also a lot of repetitions. Many pages feel like they have been written just to increase the book size and don't have any real substance.
I'd still recommend this book if you want to add more value to your sales process but be ready to fast-forward.
February 26, 2021
Demand side sales is nothing but understanding the way a customer thinks, which could be totally different from the way a sales man or a sales/product company might have understood. One of the good and a simple example quoted to get a better understanding of this difference is that of the way in which a shoe is sold. Seldom a shoe sales person may understand( unless he is trained to) that most of the customers for a shoe use their hands to feel and pursue the product and not their feet.
This book is a must read for all of those who are in the business of selling irrespective of their position in the hierarchy of their organisations. It helps one understand the traits of the great sales people; some of which are- good listening skills, keep asking questions( for better understanding the needs of the customers), to have the aptitude for constant learning, help customers progress in life. Author, Bob Moesta say's somewhere in the book that a best of the sales person is someone akin to a concierge, a mentor, a coach and not a mere order taker.
Its a nice and a short book, with loads of examples, which emphasises that all of the sales organisations and sales personnel need to have a relook at the traditional process of selling. In order to succeed in a big way in sales, the book advocates to get started to understand the demand side sales and its cycle ( Current Product - Context - Struggling Moment - Anxieties and Habits- Desired Outcomes - Trade Offs)
This book is a must read for all of those who are in the business of selling irrespective of their position in the hierarchy of their organisations. It helps one understand the traits of the great sales people; some of which are- good listening skills, keep asking questions( for better understanding the needs of the customers), to have the aptitude for constant learning, help customers progress in life. Author, Bob Moesta say's somewhere in the book that a best of the sales person is someone akin to a concierge, a mentor, a coach and not a mere order taker.
Its a nice and a short book, with loads of examples, which emphasises that all of the sales organisations and sales personnel need to have a relook at the traditional process of selling. In order to succeed in a big way in sales, the book advocates to get started to understand the demand side sales and its cycle ( Current Product - Context - Struggling Moment - Anxieties and Habits- Desired Outcomes - Trade Offs)
October 12, 2020
Surprisingly easy read to simplify the basics of a complex topic
I’ve been a big fan of the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) theory for the past 10 years and always believed this was a topic reserved for corporate and/or product innovation. I was intrigued when I saw that JTBD could be applied to Sales, an interesting topic in many ways. The book doesn’t disappoint; the authors took the time to thoroughly explain why some approaches lead to underwhelming results and why the focus on causal theory leads to structural and sustainable positive outcomes. I found two parts particularly helpful: the examples in the middle of the book to describe their process with real clients and how Sales, Marketing and Customer Service can work in unison. I recommend this book to anybody beyond Sales, from salespeople trying to become better to anybody within an organization that interacts with Sales.
I’ve been a big fan of the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) theory for the past 10 years and always believed this was a topic reserved for corporate and/or product innovation. I was intrigued when I saw that JTBD could be applied to Sales, an interesting topic in many ways. The book doesn’t disappoint; the authors took the time to thoroughly explain why some approaches lead to underwhelming results and why the focus on causal theory leads to structural and sustainable positive outcomes. I found two parts particularly helpful: the examples in the middle of the book to describe their process with real clients and how Sales, Marketing and Customer Service can work in unison. I recommend this book to anybody beyond Sales, from salespeople trying to become better to anybody within an organization that interacts with Sales.
October 21, 2021
full of golden content that I have never seen anywhere else. even the fundamentals are recontextualized in a new perspective. the information and system is so useful, but at the end and during, I had a hard time understanding "the big picture" and how the pieces fit together. understanding the individual pieces is simple, but my biggest question was on how to ask the interviewing questions.
when the client would make a statement, I would try to guess the appropriate response. often times, I wouldn't see any problems or have any questions about what they said, but then the author would find the perfect things to ask. I wish that the author walked me through picking and asking the right questions, and which points of what they said to latch onto and investigate.
when the client would make a statement, I would try to guess the appropriate response. often times, I wouldn't see any problems or have any questions about what they said, but then the author would find the perfect things to ask. I wish that the author walked me through picking and asking the right questions, and which points of what they said to latch onto and investigate.
June 29, 2022
Demand side sales, is a book that gets the reader (whom will be salespeople) to understand it’s not all about them.
Many companies are still going to market pitching “features and benefits” many if not all, the buyer does not care about and in many cases the competition say exactly the same thing.
In this book, Bob Moesta, gets you to understand that the buyer may make a purchase based on other criteria. It is our job as salespeople to understand that “demand side” part of the sale and match our sales position to these buyers wants and needs.
Bob has a nice framework that he draws up to help businesses come up with their own “demand side” understanding of the customer journey. Bob also has a number of case studies which he works through with you in the book.
Many companies are still going to market pitching “features and benefits” many if not all, the buyer does not care about and in many cases the competition say exactly the same thing.
In this book, Bob Moesta, gets you to understand that the buyer may make a purchase based on other criteria. It is our job as salespeople to understand that “demand side” part of the sale and match our sales position to these buyers wants and needs.
Bob has a nice framework that he draws up to help businesses come up with their own “demand side” understanding of the customer journey. Bob also has a number of case studies which he works through with you in the book.
February 7, 2021
Must read for every sales person and business owner.
It's a short, to the point book on how to center sales around the buyer, rather than the seller or the product/service. A major issue in sales, and in business altogether.
Although Bob mentions a few times in the book that he's dyslexic, the book is very easy to read... and contains no spelling mistakes (at least I didn't notice any).
Bob does not only share the theory of demand-side sales (aka applying Jobs To Be Done theory to sales), he also shows the practice with a series of examples and case studies, and provides you with the necessary tips and tools to put things into practice.
It's a short, to the point book on how to center sales around the buyer, rather than the seller or the product/service. A major issue in sales, and in business altogether.
Although Bob mentions a few times in the book that he's dyslexic, the book is very easy to read... and contains no spelling mistakes (at least I didn't notice any).
Bob does not only share the theory of demand-side sales (aka applying Jobs To Be Done theory to sales), he also shows the practice with a series of examples and case studies, and provides you with the necessary tips and tools to put things into practice.
May 16, 2021
The author states "If you are knocking it out of the park, then you already have your value code - this book is not for you." I disagree. I have over 25+ years of sales experience and have been very successful in sales. Bob Moesta has distilled a perspective of sales from which every salesman can benefit.
By focusing on the customer's perspective of the "job to be done" (JTBD) and demand-side innovation, the author develops a sales concept that applies to any prospective customer situation whether it be a consumer product or a sophisticated business-to-business (B2B) enterprise sale. "JTBD is a theory of how people buy, buy and demand-side sales is a method for building a sales program around JTBD. The example how Casper captured 3.2% of US market share for mattresses is a case in point. Casper did not promote it's product features, but rather the reason to buy a matress - to get a good night's sleep. Most companies do not take the approach of understanding why a customer buy a product or service. Instead, they promote what they believe are unique features of their products. It's this discrepancy that gets sales people in difficult situations.
I was fortunate to attend a webinar where the author talked about this book. He mentioned how Theo Epstein, the current GM of the Boston Red Sox got started. Theo would find people in influential positions and ask them what problem they had that they didn't want to do and he would solve it for them. A simple as this sounds, it sums up the role of sales - solving challenging problems.
Mr. Moesta goes into great detail on how to ask great questions and to really understand the "struggling moments" customers are experiencing that is leading them to resolve an issue. I appreciated the depth of questioning because many sales people will stop asking questions once they believe they understand the prospective client. Sales people sometimes have "happy ears" - they listen for cues that promote their product or service without fully understanding the extent of the customer's problem.
As an engineer, I also appreciated the author's ability to distill the sales process: F1+F2 > F3+F4 where:
F1 is the push of the situation - the struggling moment
F2 is the pull of the solution - the outcome
F3 is the habit of the present - status quo
F4 is the anxiety of the new solution
In conclusion, this is a book I would recommend to all sales people interested in perfecting their craft along with Daniel Pink's "To sell is human" and the Challenger Sale.
By focusing on the customer's perspective of the "job to be done" (JTBD) and demand-side innovation, the author develops a sales concept that applies to any prospective customer situation whether it be a consumer product or a sophisticated business-to-business (B2B) enterprise sale. "JTBD is a theory of how people buy, buy and demand-side sales is a method for building a sales program around JTBD. The example how Casper captured 3.2% of US market share for mattresses is a case in point. Casper did not promote it's product features, but rather the reason to buy a matress - to get a good night's sleep. Most companies do not take the approach of understanding why a customer buy a product or service. Instead, they promote what they believe are unique features of their products. It's this discrepancy that gets sales people in difficult situations.
I was fortunate to attend a webinar where the author talked about this book. He mentioned how Theo Epstein, the current GM of the Boston Red Sox got started. Theo would find people in influential positions and ask them what problem they had that they didn't want to do and he would solve it for them. A simple as this sounds, it sums up the role of sales - solving challenging problems.
Mr. Moesta goes into great detail on how to ask great questions and to really understand the "struggling moments" customers are experiencing that is leading them to resolve an issue. I appreciated the depth of questioning because many sales people will stop asking questions once they believe they understand the prospective client. Sales people sometimes have "happy ears" - they listen for cues that promote their product or service without fully understanding the extent of the customer's problem.
As an engineer, I also appreciated the author's ability to distill the sales process: F1+F2 > F3+F4 where:
F1 is the push of the situation - the struggling moment
F2 is the pull of the solution - the outcome
F3 is the habit of the present - status quo
F4 is the anxiety of the new solution
In conclusion, this is a book I would recommend to all sales people interested in perfecting their craft along with Daniel Pink's "To sell is human" and the Challenger Sale.
January 6, 2024
An absolute gem!
It has shifted how I view sales and salespeople. Engaging in sales once had a negative connotation, associated with pushing products onto people and being that annoying salesperson who wouldn't stop asking for a sale.
However, this book has changed that perspective.
Now, I see sales in a better light as a way to provide value to customers, helping them make progress and acting more as a helpful guide.
Packed with lots of interesting ideas. Definitely worth reading.
It has shifted how I view sales and salespeople. Engaging in sales once had a negative connotation, associated with pushing products onto people and being that annoying salesperson who wouldn't stop asking for a sale.
However, this book has changed that perspective.
Now, I see sales in a better light as a way to provide value to customers, helping them make progress and acting more as a helpful guide.
Packed with lots of interesting ideas. Definitely worth reading.
November 12, 2020
The more marketers and salesmen will read this book, the better our products and sales processes will be. The book about JTBD - the only method of conducting interviews - from the authors of the method is the best way to start looking at creating value for your product from the customer’s perspective.
January 17, 2021
Understanding your customer comes first; their struggles and motivations and passions. The rest follows. Andrew Spittle summarizes the key points from this book.
I didn't finish the book because I don't disagree with any of the main points.
I didn't finish the book because I don't disagree with any of the main points.
November 20, 2024
This book mounts on the jobs to be done theory and applies it to sales and in particular it tries to switch how we think about sales from "we have to sell X" to "how can I better serve my customers?"
In order to do so, it goes through principles, methods, examples and a framework that encloses the theory
I found it useful, concise and that it's trying to tackle a real problem
In order to do so, it goes through principles, methods, examples and a framework that encloses the theory
I found it useful, concise and that it's trying to tackle a real problem
September 28, 2020
Kindle. I'm an avid follower of the Jobs-to-be-done theory and really appreciate the way Moesta makes the theory practicable.
Very short and simple, less of a book and more of a how-to guide. Plus illustrations rock.
Very short and simple, less of a book and more of a how-to guide. Plus illustrations rock.
November 6, 2020
Practical and sensible
This is a really interesting and practical guide to demand side selling. It helps you reframe things from your perspective to that of a buyer. Recommended for all of those in sales.
This is a really interesting and practical guide to demand side selling. It helps you reframe things from your perspective to that of a buyer. Recommended for all of those in sales.
September 7, 2021
Great book for entrepreneurs and salespeople
Quick read, easy to apply and understand the concepts. Highly recommended for business owners, Enteprenuers, salespeople, customer success and support oriented staff. R
Quick read, easy to apply and understand the concepts. Highly recommended for business owners, Enteprenuers, salespeople, customer success and support oriented staff. R
October 3, 2021
This is an amazing book, recommended by a mentor on my professional development pathway.
Author presents great ideas to understand selling (understanding customer) in a simple language through very relatable examples. Highly recommend!
Author presents great ideas to understand selling (understanding customer) in a simple language through very relatable examples. Highly recommend!
October 15, 2021
A great framework that you could apply right now
Thanks Bob for bringing a clear and practical guideline that will help everyone to truly understand their customers/prospects pain points. It’s not about features but about helping people in making progress!
Thanks Bob for bringing a clear and practical guideline that will help everyone to truly understand their customers/prospects pain points. It’s not about features but about helping people in making progress!
June 30, 2023
First time sales as a discipline felt like it could be a little less slimy. The book applies the Jobs To Be Done framework to client engagement, so you can support clients where they are rather than push your own narrative. Lots of great anecdotes.
October 12, 2023
Demand-side sales starts with understanding the people who already bought and made progress with you and then seeing the patterns to help others who have not made the progress yet.
And the struggling moment is the seed of every sale.
Great read for any salesperson or entrepreneur.
And the struggling moment is the seed of every sale.
Great read for any salesperson or entrepreneur.
January 23, 2024
I didn’t want to like this, but it was great. Really helpful if you’re trying to learn how to pitch/sell new products, but also has a lot of insight about how and why to build them in the first place.
February 2, 2024
The basic sales principles are presented perfectly in the book, with case studies and specific examples. Learned some new stuff or at least looked at some situations from a diff perspective. Would recommend to anyone trying to refresh sales skills or that’s just starting out.
December 2, 2024
Coupled with the authors' other books, this is an excellent framework for how people should be selling, based on customer feedback, feelings and stepping them through the journey. All things considered, those that understand behaviors will continue to be ahead of others/competitors.
December 26, 2024
Great book about how to apply JTBD to sales and general demand-based product development. Salespeople need to serve as guides to help pull people towards making progress and seeing if a product fits into their view of the future or not. Salespeople as not to sell.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2021
One of the greatest, clearest business books I've read. Highly recommend for founders, executives, product designers, business development workers, marketers, sales people.
March 30, 2021
Мало кто знает, но кроме Сникерса есть ещё и Милки Вэй.
October 4, 2021
Filed under 'books that should have been an HBR article'. Too much filler content. But the core message is valuable. Just get it in another form.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews